A first time guide to self-hypnosis

May 23rd, 2017

Ever thought about trying hypnosis for yourself? We’re here to help.

Feeling like you’ve hit a wall, or reached a plateau is a common feeling for many people. Whether it’s related to your career, your exercise regime, or even your creative flow, there’s a variety of aspects of life that we can feel a need to refresh or awaken ourselves.

When we want to make self-improvements, the task is to work on creating a new state of mind that becomes your new ‘normal’. Hypnosis can be an extremely powerful personal development tool, helping to overcome a wide range of issues that are holding us back from reaching our true potential. This can help to transform any limiting habits, emotions and beliefs.

Reaching out to a professional hypnotherapist is a great way to access the transformative powers of hypnotherapy. But, it is possible to learn some of the techniques yourself, in order to adopt a practice of self-hypnosis of your own. While it might sound daunting, you can achieve a state of trance all on your own; think of it as meditation, but with an end goal in mind.

Try these 5 self-hypnosis steps to break free from whatever is holding you back.

1. Relax

We are more susceptible to suggestion when we are relaxed. So, to start with, you need to relax.

To relax your mind, first focus on relaxing every part of your body. Notice any tension you might be holding, especially in your shoulders or jaw. Then let go of anything that’s on your mind, tuning into your breath and your surroundings instead.

2. Push away limiting habits from your mind

Once you feel relaxed, start telling the limiting factor you are experiencing – that could be stress, self-doubt, or something else – that it is hurting you. Instead, provide a healthy alternative of how you’d like to think or feel instead.

3. Focus on the outcome you want

Your suggestions need to be believable and desirable. Most importantly, you need to be able to visualise the end goal. Put firm belief in what you want to achieve – there needs to be no doubt in your mind throughout this process.

Repetition is key. Repeating this process will help to strengthen the connection with your mind and this new way of thinking.

5. Develop a routine that works for you

Consistency is important, so try to focus on repeating this process regularly. Schedule a time that falls naturally within your routine and aim to practise for around 20 minutes. But, it is important to focus on what feels right – so practise as often as you are able to, and only for as long as you can concentrate for.

Be patient with it – try not to expect miracles after only a few attempts. Be sure to note down your progress weekly, to keep a track of your journey and how you feel within yourself.